New member - Bought an RA107

[gridwalker]

How about arranging an "official meeting" late in the summer, so anyone interested could organise some spare time and money, so not only ChrisSwift can have an honour of admiring Your car?

+1

This sounds like a great idea to me : I am originally from Bristol and still have family down there, so I'd happily travel down south if there is a chance to see what you have done ... assuming your project runs smoothly, of course!

[F1snake]

Nice idea. We can certainly arrange something like that. By late summer there should be a lot more to see. We'd like to share with you guys, and would very much apreciate harvesting some of this forums impressive collective brain power. We could meet up at Castle Combe, our nearest circuit. I've just learned that Castle Combe has started a new race series which RA107 is eligible for.

http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/for ... IC_ID=4524

Not likely for the car to be ready for this seasons races, but certainly next year. We might well make a test day this year at CC, and should perhaps aim to meet with forum members round such a day.

[gridwalker]

Awesome : I know Castle Combe well, as my dad used to race tuned TR7s there back in the 80s ... I'd certainly be interested in seeing what time your machinery can do around there

[F1snake]

[quote="Formula None"]Why is the bottom face so asymmetrical?

Formula None, I think it has that asymmetrical shape due to the hydraulic shift actuator within the casing.

[Tim.Wright]

Sounds like you've had a good look inside the box with Hewland. Whats the best was forward now with the gearbox?

Tim

[manchild]

I can't stop thinking that it would be good to make car street-legal, and offer bodywork as advertising space.

[F1snake]

Hi Tim,

Hewland is having a good look in the box and will come back to us with a plan of how to use the original casing for the gearbox. They also said that it didn't look dissimilar to what Hewland makes, just thinner gears in the RA107 box. Your CAD drawings were of great help and we left a copy with Hewland, so many thanks for that, Tim.

Hi manchild,

hmmm.... can't quite see this car on the streets, it would bottom out if as much as a flattened bird dropping got in its way, and would likely cause an accident amongst other road users. It wouldn't easily pass an IVA, and even if it did, I'd look rather a jerk driving round in a car like that on the road! But you're right about the advertising potential......

[manchild]

With Monaco setup, highest possible ride-height, fans to keep temp. down, why not? Central London can't be bumpier than Monaco. No wear of tyres and brake pad as it would go slow. In the end - you could tow it, or power it with some small engine just to keep it moving.

Imagine it stuck in the traffic jam during rush-hour with pedestrians and people from the cars and buses staring at it. No one would notice any other advertisement on a bus, billboard or building - guaranteed. No one has ever tried that in advertising.

You know that old tale about how Rockefeller got rich? Bought one dirty apple for 10 cent, shined it and sold for 20, than bought two dirty apples for 20 cents, shined them and sold for 40 etc.

Same thing, only you'd be doing it with dirty F1 cars

Sounds like a joke, but it might be not.

[mep]

This picture is interesting for me. I thought you got a complete gearbox including all the internals but here it looks like it is just the casing.

[Goran2812]

i think they said all of the internals are in there, they're just so small... or that's not the case? :/

[F1snake]

All internals are behind the plate you see in that pic, mep, but they are very thin gears indeed.

[ralt12]

With Monaco setup, highest possible ride-height, fans to keep temp. down, why not? Central London can't be bumpier than Monaco. No wear of tyres and brake pad as it would go slow. In the end - you could tow it, or power it with some small engine just to keep it moving.

Imagine it stuck in the traffic jam during rush-hour with pedestrians and people from the cars and buses staring at it. No one would notice any other advertisement on a bus, billboard or building - guaranteed. No one has ever tried that in advertising.

You know that old tale about how Rockefeller got rich? Bought one dirty apple for 10 cent, shined it and sold for 20, than bought two dirty apples for 20 cents, shined them and sold for 40 etc.

Same thing, only you'd be doing it with dirty F1 cars

Sounds like a joke, but it might be not.

Wouldn't work. Overhang on bits that hang out (like the nose assembly) is monstrous, making even small changes in elevation on the road surface unpassable. Too many opportunities for a guy in a street car NOT to see you, despite the obvious attraction, and bits fly off these cars at the speed of light. Replacing a nose or other suspension assemblies is not a small expense. No on-board starter if you stall. No cooling; you would have a lot of work to do just to work out a system that was foolproof from an overheating perspective.

Tow it?? Really, did you actually think that a moving billboard that's towed around is a smart way to use your F1 car??

If you want to sell advertising, that's one thing, but stay on the track and you would save yourself a lot of money and headaches. Having said that, I would think people would think the car was "proper" only if it was in one of its original liveries, if it had more than one.

[mep]

All internals are behind the plate you see in that pic, mep, but they are very thin gears indeed.

Okay
Does this plate belong there?
It looks so unfitting especially with those shaft ends.
Can you explain this a little more or take a picture with the plate removed.
I wonder where the bearings of the shafts are placed and how the piece is sealed when the plate is not there.
At least it looks like you got some additional space for your clutch in front of the plate and within the gearbox casing.

[F1snake]

Hi mep,

The plate was there when we bought the car, but I agree that it does appear somewhat 'unfitting'. It certainly looks elaborate for a simple cover. The gearbox is with Hewland at the moment,and is likely to be with them for some time. As soon as I get a chance to take some more photos, I will post them here.

Hi JessicaGee,

Welcome to this great forum. I have to agree with your sentiments.......

[adrianjordan]

With Monaco setup, highest possible ride-height, fans to keep temp. down, why not? Central London can't be bumpier than Monaco.

Central London? Maybe not, but the roads down here in Bath are more like a dirt track at times!!